April 26, 2022 – The Alice L. Walton Foundation and Washington Regional Medical System announced their intention to create a regional health system to improve health outcomes across Northwest Arkansas and beyond.
The announcement follows the news last year of a joint initiative through the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Cleveland Clinic to identify ways to provide access to Cleveland Clinic’s renowned specialty care services in Northwest Arkansas. The initiative was formed after a study highlighted that area residents frequently leave the region in order to receive specialty care.
Through these two initiatives, the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Washington Regional Medical System intend to work with Cleveland Clinic to support the growth of health care services in the region.
This new partnership will:
- Increase access to specialty care services that will make it possible for patients and families to receive innovative care closer to home.
- Expand clinical services to reflect the growth of the Northwest Arkansas region.
- Build a regional health system that focuses on delivering high-quality, whole-person services across the continuum of care.
- Strengthen the transformation to value-based care in the region to ensure high quality, affordable care for the community.
- Develop a partnership with the Whole Health School of Medicine to establish a regional academic health system in Northwest Arkansas.
- Train the next generation of clinicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and caregivers in the region.
- Bolster research capabilities of the Washington Regional Medical System.
The Alice L. Walton Foundation and Washington Regional Medical System will now begin to develop operational plans for this new partnership, with an intent to finalize next steps during the remainder of this year.
The initiative between the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Cleveland Clinic focuses on developing solutions to provide patients in Northwest Arkansas greater specialty care access, which may include cardiac care, digestive health, neurosciences, oncology, orthopedics/spine and behavioral health.
Founded in 2017, the Alice L. Walton Foundation works to enhance quality of life for individuals and communities through providing access to offerings that enhance well-being. In 2020, Walton announced the formation of the Whole Health Institute, and in 2021 she announced the formation of the Whole Health School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Both of these organizations, based in Bentonville, Ark., focus on redesigning the systems that impact health and well-being with the goal of making whole health accessible and affordable to all.
In partnership with Washington Regional Medical System and Cleveland Clinic, the foundation will focus on infusing Whole Health principles into the clinical, educational, and operational practices of this new health care system with the goal of improving health outcomes in the region and enhancing value-based care. The system will work with Whole Health School of Medicine to support academic and teaching opportunities as well.